BAKING-INDUSTRY

CINNAMON ALLERGY IN A BAKER

A case of contact dermatitis resulting from occupational exposure to cinnamon was reported. The patient was a baker who presented with a 3 month history of a rash on his hands. He reported that the rash began on the palms of his hands and subsequently spread to the dorsum of his right hand. The rash was associated with itching that intensified at work and at night. No history of eczema was reported. Patch testing revealed sensitivity to perfume mix, balsam-of-Peru, cinnamic-alcohol, and cinnamic-aldehyde. The author concludes that this worker had contact dermatitis of the hands resulting from a sensitivity to cinnamic-acid and cinnamic-aldehyde which are common components of cinnamon as well as many fragrances and flavoring agents.

Australasian Journal of Dermatology 36(1):41, 1995. (6 references)

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